Rory McIlroy lost ground on day two of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California as an erratic two-under-par 70 at the event’s signature course left him six behind leader Austria’s Sepp Straka.
McIlroy’s Europe Ryder Cup team-mate from 2023 – who won his third PGA Tour title earlier the month – fired a second successive 65 which moved him to 14 under par and three ahead of first-round leader Russell Henley and Australia’s Cam Davis.
Henley followed up his 64 at Spyglass Hill with a 69 at Pebble Beach with Davis’ 68 at Spyglass including a bogey at his final hole.
McIlroy, whose opening 66 at Spyglass Hill included a hole-in-one as he was only two behind Henley, look poised to reel in Straka when four birdies in his opening seven holes left him only two off the pace.
But the world number three’s round stalled when a run of four pars was followed by successive bogeys at the 12th and 13th and further shots went at the 16th and 17th before he undid some of the damage by holing a 25-foot eagle putt at the last.
England’s Justin Rose is in a group sharing fourth place on 10 under after he carded a 69 at Spyglass Hill while Shane Lowry is alongside McIlroy on eight under after his 70 at the same course.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is a further shot back after carding a 70 at Pebble Beach.
Clumsy belly wedge
Up until his exploits on the closing hole, McIlroy’s back nine frustration was summed up by his failure to exploit a huge drive on the par-five 14th as his pulled seven-iron approach was followed by a clumsy belly wedge, with the 15-foot birdie putt failing to drop.
There was no escape at the next as his approach into a greenside bunker resulted in another dropped shot and a further stroke went at the short 17th when his tee shot finished over 20 yards short of the green.
However, McIlroy did finish his round on a high as his eagle moved him to within six of Straka after his huge drive and accurate approach.
The four-time major winner’s fast start had included birdies at the second, fourth and sixth before he carded a two at the iconic par-three seventh hole where Lowry holed-in-one on Thursday.
But the world number three’s momentum was halted as a run of four straight pars – which included a wedge from only 87 yards on the 11th which spun back 30 feet from the pin – was followed by successive bogeys when he short-sided himself on the short 12th and found a bunker off the tee at the next.
McIlroy continued to make errors during the remainder of his back nine before his big finish.
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